New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi on Saturday attacked the Centre for attributing price rise to
"adverse" weather conditions, contending that cost of
essential commodities were contained when similar climatic
conditions prevailed between 2000-02.
"I am surprised to learn that the Government of India has
attributed price rise to 'adverse' weather and climate
change," Modi said at the Chief Minister's conference convened
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He contended that "more adverse climatic conditions" had
prevailed for three years between 2000-02 which had an
"equally adverse effect on agriculture production."
"Yet, the food inflation was contained within five per
cent through better supply side management," he said.
BJP-led NDA was in power at the Centre from 1998 to 2004.
Modi also sought to reject the Centre's argument that
hike in minimum support price had led to rising prices.
"If the rise in Minimum Support Price of paddy has been
16 percent and about 50 percent in the statutory support
price of sugarcane during 2009-10, we are unable to appreciate
the economic logic behind 40-60 percent rise in the prices of
food grains and more than 150 percent rise in the prices of
sugar," he said.
Modi contended that the food price inflation shown by the
wholesale price index was not the correct measurement of the
price situation faced by a consumer as the common man paid
much higher price than the wholesaler.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 06, 2010, 14:14